Stages of Menstruation & Menopause
- rachaelhcully
- Oct 28
- 2 min read
Summary. Menses begins around age 12 and typically lasts about 40 years or until a woman reaches the age of about 50. During a woman's late 30's and 40's she may begin to experience irregular periods and other symptoms of perimenopause. Menopause is a milestone which happens 12 months after a woman's last period, the day after menopause a women begins the post menopause phase of life. These phases are each a natural part of our lives to be enjoyed for their unique benefits.
General Definitions.
Menses. This is the time period after puberty when women typically experience regular periods.
Perimenopause. This is the phase of life leading up to menopause when menses are often irregular and other common changes appear as hormone levels begin to shift ahead of dropping to a new much lower normal in post-menopause.
Menopause. This is an incredibly important milestone 12 months after your last period.
Post-menopause. This is the phase of life when menses have stopped.
Phase | Actions |
Menses | Track menses and changes associated with menses. Consult with your healthcare professional if you have any concerns. |
Perimenopause | Hormone fluctuations may be erratic. Observe and track changes. Develop a deeper understanding of what is happening in your body and what to potentially expect during and after this phase. Choose your resources and build a plan to alleviate any concerning changes. Reach out to your healthcare professional with any concerns. Write down your plan. Activate your plan. Observe and track changes. |
Menopause | CELEBRATE! You've reached a major milestone which may be filled with lots of emotions. Take a minute to celebrate what you and your body have achieved thus far and what you're looking forward to doing in the years to come in a way that's meaningful to you. Maybe your celebration is a big party with friends or a hike in nature, a balance of both, or something else entirely. |
Post Menopause | If your hormone fluctuations have leveled off and you're feeling great, enjoy!! If you're not quite there yet and you're still experiencing hormone fluctuations or the impact of changes related to hormone shifts, apply what you learned in perimenopause or maybe explore changes associated with perimenopause to understand these changes, chose your resources, and build a plan to alleviate changes. If what worked previously doesn't work anymore, start the cycle again. Observe, track, chose resources, build a plan, write down the plan, act on the plan. Consult with your healthcare professional on areas of concern. |
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